Fokker/Fairchild F27, at last with virtual cockpit!

[leutnantwerner]

Hi,

this is not my first project, but the one that take the longest time. It slept since last year in the screenshot section of the this forum.

It was not my intention to create a 100% replica of the original Fokker/Fairchild plane, since I don't like flying turboprops at all.
The external model and the virtual cockpit is just my private expression of the plane and it took me a long time to get this old project (2005)
up to this state, since I lost interrest from time to time and turned to other projects.

This aircraft requires the gauges from Mike Stones and Tom Gibsons "Fairchild F-27 Pacific Air Lines", to avoid copyright violations!





The package contains the Fokker F27-200 with radar nose, vc and fully equipped cabin...
The liveries of CONDOR FLUGDIENST and ALOHA AIRLINES for the soon coming Fairchild model already enclosed.

www.mediafire.com/download/vspbped8a46m4cd/Fokker_F27_BB_09.zip

Hope all works well.

Cheers
Bernie

[circleman]

Been looking forward to this.
Many thx.

[leutnantwerner]

Sorry I forget to mention, still beta, suggestions are welcome.

Cheers
Bernie

[Tom/CalClassic]

Hi,

Great job! Looks really nice.

Just a few minor comments:

1. The forward baggage door could be coded as a cargo door (Shift E 2). You might not want to do this if you use the Fraser McKay panel, since it is difficult to open a second door using that panel (with the keyboard, anyway).

2. The prop spinners could use more polygons, both in the shape of the cone and the number of segments in the circle.

3. The main gear retraction is not quite right. Check out this video (at 1:30):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=No41mfNeECs

The gear does not remain vertical, even early in the retraction sequence.

Again, great job!

Hope this helps,

[Mike]

Thanks Bernie. Been looking forward to this one. I'm not a big fan of turbo props either, the CV-580 being the only other one I have, but I well remember the TAA F-27's from my younger days. I spent a few hours plane spotting outside Wagga Wagga airport in country New South Wales on one of the best holidays. There were at least half a dozen parked in one corner of the airport, waiting departure on a freezing morning at 6am.


Thanks for this.


Cheers,
Mike

[leutnantwerner]

Thank you guys.
Tom, I know about the problematic nature of the retraction process. I confess of cheating here a lot. I have to rework most of the parts. I took some pictures from a F27-200 on display at our local airport EDLN.
The other points could be easily done.
There is also an issue about the gauges background lighting in the vc I have to solve. I would like to fix the vc first since one spend most of the time inside the cockpit than outside, according to my opinion. How about the copilot, silly, good or change gender? I hate to fly alone! Bill Lyons had a good idea of switching the crew on and off in his Graf Zeppelin rigid airship.

Cheers
Bernie

[Tom/CalClassic]

Hi,

Glad to help. A switch would be good, since there is quite a difference of opinion about figures in the VC.

[Mike]

Hi Bernie,

First of all, thanks again for doing this. A VC equipped F-27 has been a big gap in the virtual propliner scene for too long, especially given how widespread was their use.

As this is a beta, I have some suggestions for you. Firstly, outside view. When closing the door, the airstairs disappear, then the hostie backs up the now gone stairway into the plane. I'm guessing a sequencing thing with the animation? Secondly, in the VC, the 4 windows in the directly forward view have a translucent yellow border. Also, in the VC, I agree that the co-pilot needs to be switchable. I prefer to be able to see out. Third, the directional gyro doesn't seem to work in the air. Mine seems to point permanently west, yest it works on the ground?? Lastly, the flight dynamics seem a bit off. My research indicates that these planes have a cruising speed of 240 to 260 knots, but I can't get close to that. As I pass 220kn, that overspeed warning appears, then the plane crashes due to "overstressing".

Hope you can fix these things.


Cheers,
Mike.

[Tom/CalClassic]

Hi,

1. I believe that the yellow edging is for window deicing?

2. The cruising speed of 260 kts is true airspeed; the typical indicated cruise speed (i.e. what you read on your airspeed indicator) should be below 200 kts.

Hope this helps,

[leutnantwerner]

Hi Mike, thank you for the respond.

1. The flight dynamics are from FSAviator and I think Tom's explanation is giving the reason.
2. The directional gyro is from the default Cessna. Does it cause a problem there too?
3. The main door animation sounds also strange to me, but since I made most of the testing with FSX I will check this in FS2004.

By the way, the map view works only in FSX.

Cheers
Bernie

[Tom/CalClassic]

Hi,

The animation seems to work OK for me when I press the Shift E keys, but is a little odd if I start the engines with Ctrl E and the animation happens automatically. Another odd thing is that the "inside" stewardess is partially transparent.

The gyro (the one that says "VACUUM" on it) works fine for me both on the ground and in the air.

[Mike]

Thanks for the clarification regarding the airspeeds. I had wondered if the speeds I was reading were IAS or TAS, especially as FSAviators. His FD are always pretty good.

I'll check to see what happens with the DG in the default Cessna. Something I never fly, especially after trying the A2A Cessna in FSX

Is there a switch for the window deicing? I've never seen anything like that before.

More flying tonight.


Cheers,
Mike

[leutnantwerner]

Hi,

the airstairs animation is realy a bit odd. I will look into it after I finished the Fairchild model. The yellow frame of the forward cockpit windows should simply be the sealing gasket of the glass and not be transparent.

I look for information on which model the landing lights are retractabel under the wing or fixed integrated.

Cheers
Bernie

[Tom/CalClassic]

In the Fokker landing lights are built into those "notches" in the leading edge of the wing, and not retractable. In the Fairchild, those notches are not present and the landing lights retract into the bottom of the wing. In addition the Fairchild has an airstairs door which is hinged along the bottom of the door. Finally, the pitot tubes in the Fairchild are on the top of the nose, instead of at the wing tips.

Hope this helps,

[leutnantwerner]

Thank you Tom, for clarify this.

Cheers
Bernie